Apparatus for treatment of products with ultrasonic energy



March 13, 1956 N. E. less, JR., ET AL 2,738,172

APPARATUS TREATMENT PRODUCTS WITH ULTRAsoNIc EN y Filed NOV. 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. NE N E. SPIESS, JR. 8

E L. JACKSON.

Z/ giur N QM Y fe/f Armen/ya March 13, 1956 N E. SPESS, ET AL 2,738,172

APPARATUS FOR TREAT E T OF PRODUCTS WITH ULTRASONIC ENERGY Filed Nov. 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TRANSDUCERA A Y B MAX.- A

0- S D LLI t MAX n. 0 g /5 d 34 WAVELENGTH AND/0R DISTANCE.

TRANSDUCER. REFLECTOR. MAX.- A B A y. Llj fj I 'E n: 5; w' 0- Lu is.- *Y i9? a MAX :7"5 7 f2 wAvELENGTH AND/0R DISTANCE. INVENT 5 NEWTON E. l HORACE L. K N.

MMA ,1.2M

APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT F PRODUCTS 'WITH ULTRASNIC ENERGY Newton E. Spiess, Jr., Uakdale, and Horace L. Jackson, Babylon, N. Y., assignors to National Dairy Research Laboratories, Inc., Oakdale, Islip, N. Y., avcorporation of Delaware Application November 28, 1952, Serial No. 322,874

S Claims. (Cl. 259-1) This invention relates to apparatus for treating products by means of ultrasonic energy and more particularly to apparatus utilizing high intensity ultrasonic energy to produce physical, chemical and other changes in products.

It has been found that ultrasonic energy properly applied will, for example, destroy bacterial organisms, reduce the particle size of fat in milk, and modify milk proteins in such a way as to reduce curd tension. While these and other phenomena have been observed in laboratory experiments, their application on a commercial scale has not been uniformly successful. Results have tended to be erratic despite attempts to maintain uniform operating conditions. Further, the eiiciency of the treating equipment has often been too low to permit commercial use, even in cases where the results have been startlingly good. Attempts to improve the results by increasing the intensity of the ultrasonic energy have tended to further reduce the efficiency and in some cases have ended in complete failure due to the inability of the equipment itself to withstand the strains imparted by ultrasonic energy.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide improved apparatus for treating products With high intensity ultrasonic energy.

It is another object of the invention to provide apparatus for treating products with high intensity ultrasonc energy in such a fashion as to attain consistent results in the treated product.

Another object of the invention is to improve the etticiency of ultrasonic treating apparatus so as to render its use practicable on a commercial scale.

These and other objects and features of the invention are attained by providing treating mechanism including an ultrasonic source or transducer, a chamber for accommodatin'g a product to be treated and a controlled medium through which the mechanical energy may travel from the transducer to the product. The latter can include a non-resonant, sound transparent diaphragm defining a wall of the chamber. A reflector can be utilized to reflect ultrasonic waves which have passed through the product, back through the product.

' Tovachieve the most effective results the respective distances between the transducer, the diaphragm and the reector are closely adjusted so that the diaphragm and reector will always be at respective locations of minimum cavitation and pressure variation and so that standing waves will be set up. To this end the reector and diaphragm can both be disposed at integral number of half wave lengths from the transducer. The productto be treated, which is disposed between the diaphragm and the reflector, will then be in an area of maximum pressure variation resulting in maximum transfer of energy to the product but minimum expenditure of energy in the equipment.

In a preferred form of the invention the transducer may be used in conjunction with a focusing element for tnt concentrating the ultrasonic energy in a relatively small area. Both the diaphragm and sound reector will be curved in accordance with the focusing angle of the energy so that the prescribed distances from the source will be maintained at all points. In this. fashion the energy for treating the product will be so concentrated as to facilitate rapid treatment without subjecting the diaphragm or other parts of the treating equipment to the distintegrating effects of the ultrasonic vibrations.

So that attenuation will be at minimum and so that cavitation will be eliminated, an ultrasonic transmitting medium such as oil may be maintained within the unit under a pressure which is equal to or greater than onehalf the-pressure variation in the ultrasonic waves generated therein. The high intensity of the energy in the` vicinity of the treating chambers enables a continuous and rapid through-put of the product, and to accommodate this through-put a system has been designed in accordance with` the invention to receive the product and to cause it to be spread out continuously over areas in which the energy transfer is at an absolute maximum.

The invention as well as other features thereof may be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawing, taken in conjunction with the following specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a vew in vertical section of treating apparatus formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in transverse section taken 0n the' line 2 2 of Figure l looking in the direction of thel arrows;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of a portion of the equipment of Figure 1 as viewed from the inside of the equipment and looking in the direction of the arrows 3 3;

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the condition which exists in a sound system when a sound wave is reected back to the sound source, the diagram comprising a curve of the amplitude and/or velocity against wave length and/ or distance; and

Figure 5 is a diagram corresponding to that of Figure 4 but comprising a curve plotting pressure against wavelength and/or distance.

Referring to Figures 1*.3, the invention is illustrated as embodied in an assembly particularly adapted for the ultrasonic treatment of fluid products and comprises a pair of heavy housing parts 10 and 11 joined together in' fluid tight relationship as by bolts 12, for example, to define a fluid tight cavity 13. Disposed within the cavity 13 in the vicinity of its lower spheroidal'surface 14 is a sound source in the form of a transducer indicated gen-` erally by the numeral 15. The transducer 15 can include a crystal element 16, which may be substantially spheroidal in its curvature for purposes described below, mounted in an annulus 16a and embraced by a pair of electrodes 16b and 16C. The electrodes 16b and 16C can be connected to a suitable source of alternating electrical voltage such as the oscillator 17, for example, by means of electrical conductors 18 and 19 respectively.` In accordance with well known principles, the application of an alternating voltage of selected frequency across the electrodes 1611 and 16C will cause the crystal to vibrate, thereby to convert electrical energy to mechanical vibrations.

The fluid tight cavity 13 is lled with a suitable sound transmitting medium 20 such, for example, as oil, input and output fittings 21 and 22 being provided for this purpose. The oil medium, which may circulate through the chamber to control the temperature and hence prevent ultrasonic wave length variation, also serves to transmit the sound energy. In a preferred form of the invenmz3 ai 2.

trefvariation in the-soundWaves-passing through it, there- J..to..preclude-.harmful-cavitation and to reducefattenua-i Surmounting the housing part 11 is a product accomiodating and treating chamber assemblyl indicated' gen- ,'.ally-."bythe: numeral 23 andlcomprisinga .cylindricalV ushing- 214; th.readed into an aperture 25fformed in'thepperpwalloff the yhousing part-11. The bushing 24 is lrmedzwithl aninternally. threadedvr bore` 261into which- ;;threade.d; ai. sleeve l27 tcarrying 'near its dependin'g end -a'- )unditransparent :diaphragm member 28 .which is :of gener rallyn spheroidal.. configuration for purposesv described elem-'and .the underside.l oftwhich isldisposedi within-the;-

tacked-downportion31....ofthetubulartelement 29 andthe inet-.Qwall.of..theV sleeve 27 clene` a. substantially.L toroidal.. enduit 34 by means of which the product finds itsfwayout fthe, treating chamber 33, a. suitable. outlet iittingg'35 eing,``providedfor. this. purpose.. Gaskets or., packing.

ings Z1,' 1`1`a, 24a and. 29a. can .be :provided .as necessary o; rendertlie system fluid tight.

The'prodct to be treated can be introduced into the. ore `30 to. ow downwardlyinto the chamber 33..where E'will'ow radially outwardly in all directionstowardlthe..

roidalconduit l3 4 Vfrom which it leaves the system... This.

lowy direction is not critical and maybe reversed.. The oundenergyrdevelopedby thetransducer 15,'Will, in con.--

'erginglon'rthe chamber 33; pass through thekdiaphragm.

trembf'erv 28," through the product Within the chamb'er33', :ngag'e'thereecting member 32 andreturn toithe transf' lucerin the direction whence it came.

'Iflebehavior ofthe sound energy from the transducer.

[Simaybe better understood by referring to Figures 4. and.

. In Figure 4 there isv shown the condition which exists vh'en aj` sound wave isreflected .back to a sound source. sidicatediiby thel curve, the amplitudev andf velocity /ariationsrare at-a maximum'at ltlietransducer 151 One= urtlkoffaf Wave length fromv the*- transducerA the"v ampli-.

Ludeeafndivelocityvariationsl are at'zero, ora node,` and pass; '.lx";i'oi1gl' r-L subsequent maxima and minima'A at .on e=fourth ave intervals?thereafter.. At-the reflecting member 32,l mxplitudefanlivelocity ymaxima obtainA and thestandi'ng wyeeisthereby set up.v

Referringto-F-i'gure -5'-it Will'be-seen that-the pressuresl variatinfislatazero at 'thegtransducer 15 and' passes throughinanima andl arninima at one-fourth'- Wave r lengthf ir'iterval's'j thereafter until it freacnesithe reflecting-member 32 wherev Since cavitation Y inqa uidproduct or a fluid. transmitting medium-can onlyf occur-r imareas of high,v pressure. variation, there ywillv vbe.- nogcayitation at;the;half-Wave length: points fBzin .the-'two'- diagrams/r.. At.:t11e:;one.fourth and three-fourths' wave@- theevariationxin :pressure is again zero.

lengthapointsf'A, cavitationwill bezat a amaximumi.

Inyaccordancewith the'invention .the soundztranspareilnt'.v diaphragm member 28 will be located at the point:of'zerol pressureevariation corresponding i `to the;v pointsuB; in y.the diaggamsoffigures. and 5. The diaphragmzmemberwill; thusbeeprotected.ffromdestruetion by the isoundenergy.

Toiayoicl excessive soundreflection the diaphragm should);4 berlimited-win -thicknessto about. /o' of :1g-Wave '.lengtht.. Itr; .f of i' courseeber thinner,` consistent with .theernateriab used. in itsf fabrication and. itsy ability to.-.withstandithei.- stressesA4 involved.. The. reflecting .member 32:.wi11. likewise.; bet-ldisposedfatra. point .of zero pressure. variation ,and .willi be at least a half-wave length from the diaphragm member-28z` Thusthe-product disposed in the'-chamber\'33willf have disposed therein at least one point A of maximum pressure variation and minimum velocity and a condition of maximum transfer of energy to the product will obtain.

ln other words, by positioning the reflecting member 32 an integral number of half-wavelengths fromthetransducer andbydpositioning-,the diaphragm member 2.8" near apressure node, destructioiroftheV diaphragm Willibe prevented andthe4v productwithin the chamber 33 will be subjectedzf tomaximurn irradiationby sound energy.

As. a. practical; matter the u standing.- waveiratio: within the system will not equal unity in accordancewifh the diagrams-of- Figures4-and.5. The pressure variation-will be more nearly in phase with the amplitude and velocity variation and the-:nodesrwilLnotbestationary but will move along at the speed of sound with the wave train. The pointB, howevenwhich corresponds to they location offth'ediaphragm member 28"wi1l`alwaysgbe atalocatin, of minimum vcavitation.

ln'- the arrangement of Figure l the crystal element# 16"'3'4 Will generate sound energy over alarge` area andbecausee it is curved With its concave surface facing the directiony of sound propagation', itwill'act as its own focusing-means to focus the soundenergy toward apointbehind the"- treatingy chamber 33. The reflecting member`v 32f` isfsor curved that` it reflects thev focused soundl energy-back whence Aitfearne-to tend to set up aA standingwave whicl1`- providesa-stationary point of minimumpressure `variationA botli atA the reflecting member 32l and f at the-diapliragrn member-28"; Thelatter member islikewisecurvedso-asi to Lpresent -.a surface which is -substantially i normal to2 they directiony of soundy propagation at all points.;

By. means lof Athis arrangement, minimum energy flossesfa' will occurvimthe .transfer mediacomprising the oilfinthee cavityt-13Zand thediaphragm member 28; It vwill beuride,r:A stood further .that the pressure, temperaturefand ow'iratea oflthe-product beingtreated may be .varied-iin: thetchame-V ber 33i.withouthaving any noticeable effect on theitranse: ducer assembly 15.

Itiwill be z seenethatt'. the :several idistanceszfbetweertY the soundxgsource; the. sound transmitting diaphragm fand." the; sound reilector are readily adjustable.y Thusbyituming; theesleeyea 27 inrthe f bushing .24, the: diaphragmfmernber 28::.andsreflecting memberv 32 may bef moved; asia uniti towardtand. away from .the transducer 15.'.therebyi torapy proach a condition of standing sound=waves.Within;,.thef` system. To .facilitate thisadjustment. a; polygonal head may-.b'e.-formed .on the .upper end .of the sleeved?.`

By turning the tubularV element 29within; the.sleeve:f. Mathe-soundereflectingpmember 32.may be shiftedrelativelyf-tofthegtransducerl 15.-,a1:u l-.tl'1e.transmitting,memben` 28.-.. To facilitate .'this; adjustment. the tubular Y elemen t maylbegformed. with-a p olygonal.1headv37. If thesleey 2.listurned` While holdingthe tubular eIemeULQtHertransze. mittingd member. 28 and reecting membeL-SZ willmove. ingoppositedirections. Thus any desired adjustment may., betattained.

It will..beunderstoodthat a wide. range..oifrequenciesAv may b'e used in ultrasonic treatingsapparatus, ,withthe sizef..of.the,.unit audits componentparts being; more.or lessa unctionof. thefrequencies used. With atransduce11-` elementll., inches. in diameter, for; example,...a..freq1 1e11ey.r ofaboutAOO -kilocycles-hasv been foundtoT be;..practica1l.

A .test.;which was .run.on.. ultrasonic .equipment..formed l innaccordance with. this; disclosure .usingcarefullv Rosi-11 tionedreector... and sound transmittinggdiaphragm .mem f bers` in... conjunction. .with focusing... means for Athe ultra-.,- sonic source .and maintainingthesound transmittingimediar; under-pressurefproduced,. after 1.0.-.secondsz1of irradiatiom,

hbtnogeniaatiorr .ofgmille equivalent to .that achieved .using-.V

pressures ofabout .700..p s.- i. in. a .conventional.ht'pxgnioge` nizer. Ultrasonic equipment utilizing a transducer insa-5, nonepressurized transmittingtmedium. and a. treating chamber; separated from .the medium z by. a sound transparent.

5. diaphragm of random spacing from the transducer produced, after 2% minutes of irradiation, homogenization of milk equivalent to that achieved using pressures of about 300 p. s. i. in a conventional homogenizer.

In experiments on bacterial destruction it has been found by earlier investigators that 2% minutes of irradiation are required to obtain 50% destruction of E. coli in water at 80 F. when using maximum sound intensity in conventional equipment. Using equipment of the type described above, anequal degree of destruction can be obtained in 0.06 seconds, i. e., the rate of destruction has been increased 2,500 times. If the capacities of the two types of equipment are taken into account then it is found that the present design results in a Sevenfold increase in volume of product that can be treated per unit of power input.

The particular form of the invention described and illustrated is presented as an example of how the vinvention may be applied and the phraseology and terminology `employed is for purposes of description, not limitation.

Other forms, embodiments and applications of the invention coming within the proper scope of the following claims will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for the treatment of products by ultrasonic energy, a source of ultrasonic energy including means for focusing the energy toward a point, a treating chamber between the source and the point, an ultrasonic transmitting member separating the source from the chamber, said transmitting member being curved to receive focused ultrasonic energy in directions normal to its own surface, and an ultrasonic reector on the far side of the treating chamber from the source and also disposed between the source and the focusing point, said reiector being shaped to receive the ultrasonic energy from the source and to reect substantially all of said energy back through the treating chamber in directions whence it came.

2. In apparatus for the treatment of products by ultrasonic energy, a source of ultrasonic energy, a treating chamber for receiving a product to be treated disposed within the effective range of the source and separated therefrom by at least one ultrasonic transmitting medium, and an ultrasonic reecting member on the far side of the treating chamber from the source spaced from the source by an integral number of half wave lengths of the ultrasonic waves generated by the source, said reflecting member being shaped to receive the ultrasonic energy substantially normal to its surface to reliect substantially all of the energy back through the treating chamber in directions whence it came, said reecting member also being disposed inside the point of focus of the ultrasonic energy from the source.

3. In apparatus for the treatment of products by ultra sonic energy, a source of ultrasonic energy, a treating chamber for receiving a product to be treated disposed within the effective range of the source and separated therefrom by at least one ultrasonic transmitting medium, an ultrasonic transmitting member disposed between the source and the chamber and spaced from the source by an integral number of half wave lengths of the ultrasonic waves generated by the source, and an ultrasonic reilecting member on the far side of the treating chamber from the source spaced from the source by an integral number of half wave lengths of the waves generated by the source, said reecting member being shaped to receive the ultrasonic energy substantially normal to its surface to reflect substantially all of the energy back through the treating chamber in directions whence it came, said reflecting member also being disposed inside the point of focus of the ultrasonic energy from the source.

4. In apparatus for the treatment of products by means of ultrasonic energy, a housing having a cavity for receiving uid as an ultrasonic transmitting medium, a

treating' chamber for a product, a source for providing' the source and the rellecting member, first adjusting means l for establishing relative movement between the reflecting and transmitting members for varying the spacing therebetween, and second adjusting means for estab1ish ing relative movement between the source and both the reecting and transmitting members to vary the spacing therebetween.

5. In apparatus for the treatment of products by means of ultrasonic energy, a housing having a cavity for receiving Huid as an ultrasonic transmitting medium, a treating chamber for a product, a source for providing ultrasonic energy in the cavity, an ultrasonic retlecting member and an ultrasonic transmitting member disposed on opposite sides of the treating chamber, said transmitting member being adapted to be engaged by the transmitting medium and disposed between the source and the reflecting member, rst adjusting means for establishing relative movement between the reflecting and transmitting members for varying the spacing therebetween, and second adjusting means for establishing relative movement between the source and both the refiecting and transmitting members to vary the spacing therebetween and conduit means for passing a uid product to be treated through said treating chamber.

6. In apparatus for the treatment of products by means of ultrasonic energy, a housing having a cavity for receiving duid as a sound transmitting medium, a source for providing ultrasonic energyk in the chamber, a treating chamber for a product, said chamber being bounded on opposite sides by an ultrasonic reflecting member and an ultrasonic transmitting member, the latter being adapted to be engaged by the transmitting medium, means for shifting said reflecting and transmitting members as a unit toward and away from said source, and means for shifting said reflecting member toward and away from said transmitting member.

7. In apparatus for the treatment of a product by means of ultrasonic energy, a housing having a cavity for receiving fluid as an ultrasonic transmitting medium, a source for providing ultrasonic energy in the cavity, a sleeve threaded into the housing to communicate with the cavity, an ultrasonic transmitting member carried by the inner end of the sleeve, a tubular member threaded into the sleeve and carrying an ultrasonic recctng member adapted to be spaced from said transmitting member to define a treating chamber and to reflect sound back to the source, the tubular member having an axial bore for accommodating a product to be treated and communicating with said chamber, the tubular member also having outer wall means defining in conjunction with the inner wall of the sleeve a product accommodating conduit, whereby a iiow of the product may be passed through the treating chamber and whereby the respective spacing between the source, the transmitting member and the reflecting member may be adjustably varied.

8. In apparatus for the treatment of a product by means of ultrasonic energy, a housing having a cavity for receiving a fluid under pressure as a sound conducting medium, an ultrasonic source mounted in the cavity, said source including a focusing means for focusing the ultrasonic energy toward a point, a sleeve threaded into the housing to communicate with the cavity, an ultrasonic transmitting member carried by the inner end of the sleeve and curved to receive energy from the source in directions substantially normal to its own surface, a tubular member threaded into the sleeve and carrying an ultrasonic reecting member disposed between the source and the focusing point and curved to reiiect focused energy 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF PRODUCTS BY ULTRASONIC ENERGY, A SOURCE OF ULTRASONIC ENERGY INCLUDING MEANS FOR FOCUSING THE ENERGY TOWARD A POINT, A TREATING CHAMBER BETWEEN THE SOURCE AND THE POINT, AN ULTRASONIC TRANSMITTING MEMBER SEPARATING THE SOURCE FROM THE CHAMBER, SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER BEING CURVED TO RECEIVE FOCUSED ULTRASONIC ENERGY IN DIRECTIONS NORMAL TO ITS OWN SURFACE, AND AN ULTRASONIC REFLECTOR ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE TREATING CHAMBER FROM THE SOURCE AND ALSO DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SOURCE AND THE FOCUSING POINT, SAID REFLECTOR BEING SHAPED TO RECEIVE THE ULTRASONIC ENERGY FROM THE 